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UNHCR, WFP start feeding 6,300 needy exiles in Ecuador
9 Sep 2005 The UN refugee agency and World Food Programme have expanded a programme to provide food rations to refugees and asylum seekers in Ecuador in the largest such operation by the UN in the region since the Central American civil wars of the 1980s. -
Red carpet return for skilled Afghans from Pakistan
1 Sep 2005 More than 3,000 Afghans are rolling up their carpets and packing up to go home this week from Pakistan's Attock city, bringing their renowned weaving skills back to Afghanistan. -
Pakistan, Afghanistan, UNHCR agree to extend deal on Afghan returns
30 Aug 2005 The governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UN refugee agency have agreed to extend by nine months the Tripartite Agreement which regulates the repatriation of Afghans. They also discussed how to better coordinate camp closures and facilitate the reintegration of returnees in Afghanistan. -
Colombian singer lends voice to refugee cause
30 Aug 2005 Through his concerts in Spain, award-winning rock star Juanes is drawing attention to the plight of refugees and displaced people, something the Medellín-born singer-songwriter knows well. -
Pakistan's census of Afghans provides first detailed profile of the population
24 Aug 2005 An analysis of the information has revealed that many of the 3 million Afghans in Pakistan are young and belong to families that arrived in Pakistan in the early years of the conflict in Afghanistan. It also shows that more than 500,000 intend to return home this year. -
Afghans accelerate voluntary repatriation from Pakistan's tribal areas
23 Aug 2005 The number of Afghans who have requested UNHCR help to repatriate from Kurram and Bajaur agencies has risen sharply as the government of Pakistan's August 31 deadline for closure of refugee camps draws near. -
Silent towns line Colombia's rivers
15 Aug 2005 There are perhaps dozens of abandoned towns along the vast river network of the Chocó Department in western Colombia, their residents forced to flee because of the internal armed conflict. Once vibrant, these Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities now stand silent. -
In Venezuela, radio soaps depict the refugee life
8 Aug 2005 Three new radio soap operas are shedding light on the lives of people forced to flee their homes for Venezuela, home to more than 1 million Colombians. The vivid tales of suffering are helping UNHCR to spread its message of tolerance, understanding and respect for refugees. -
Pakistan announces more Afghan camp closures
5 Aug 2005 In a move to further consolidate the Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, the government in Islamabad has announced its decision to close all camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and to move Afghan refugees now scattered in and around the capital.